Our young Rovers secured their place in this round thanks to second half goals from Jesse Aldridge and Isaac Hughes away at Camberley Town U18s Rovers faced Reading FC in the Second Round of the competition last season but were defeated in extra time at the Select Car Leasing Stadium The match will take place at the Hybrid Fitness Stadium RH1 3QB with admission prices as follows: The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response Redhill is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead which adjoins the town of Reigate to the west Students and staff wore their festive jumpers for a donation of £1 By NOTICEBOARD · 18 December 2024 FESTIVE FUNDRAISING: Christmas Jumper Day at Merstham Park School Seasonal celebrations took on a charitable flavour at Merstham Park School recently when students and staff held their annual Christmas Jumper Day to raise more than £500 for Save the Children As well as wearing festive knitwear to raise money for this year’s appeal said: “The whole school community of students and staff were able to wear their festive jumpers for a donation of £1 and every year our Christmas Jumper Day coincides with Christmas Lunch Day where staff and students sit down together to eat their turkey or Quorn roast We raised about £500 last year and are obviously hoping for more this year as we are a growing school and now have 650 students.” and has since raised more than £30million for children in the UK and around the globe 1.5 million children and teachers and 27,000 workplaces took part It is just one of the causes supported each year by Merstham Park which is part of the GLF Schools Multi-Academy Trust Callum continued: “As a community-focused school we raise money for charities throughout the year Each of our six houses has their own charity which they raise funds for.” This year’s choices include the Surrey baby bank Stripey Stork; The Lily Foundation for those with mitochondrial disease; SparkFish charity for young people in Merstham Reigate and Redhill; Connie’s Crusade to fund treatment for a Redhill toddler with Cystic Fibrosis; The Breck Foundation which campaigns for online safety; and the Loveworks foodbank Other GLF members holding Christmas Jumper Days included Chestnut Park Primary and Meridian High School in Croydon LoadingDaily Email Updates {{contentTitle}} The Blues booked our place in the fourth round with a thrilling comeback victory away at Leicester City in December, fighting back from two down thanks to goals by Kiano Dyer and Shumaira Mheuka, before substitute Kobe Barbour netted a dramatic late winner as Merstham come to Kingsmeadow for Chelsea's first home tie in the FA Youth Cup for two years since a 3-1 win over Bradford City in January 2023 after six consecutive away fixtures in the competition Here is how you can follow all the Blues action live as we continue our campaign in academy football's most prestigious competition You can watch the match live on the official Chelsea website and app The live stream will be available free of charge for supporters anywhere in the world The game kicks off at Kingsmeadow at 7pm (UK time) on Wednesday 15 January You can watch the live stream in our Chelsea Under-18s vs Merstham Match Centre by clicking below or via the homepage of the official Chelsea website and app shortly before kick-off Ensure you are registered and logged in with a free Chelsea account to view the stream All supporters under the age of 20 can claim one free ticket for our FA Youth Cup match against Merstham at Kingsmeadow via their online ticket account. All other tickets can be purchased for £4 each online or Bobby Bowry looks around the room at the young faces staring back at him There is excitement in their eyes ahead of the biggest week of their lives “When you actually think about what we’ve done the last five months “But now we have to be really honest with ourselves in terms of where we’ve got to and who we’re playing.” Bowry is talking about a journey that started in August, when Merstham FC Under-18s were one of 633 clubs to enter the FA Youth Cup – the most prestigious tournament for academy-age players in England and a competition that has been won by a long list of stars, including everyone from George Best to Cole Palmer Based in south London and made up of students across two schools who would previously have seen themselves as rivals rather than team-mates Merstham played their first FA Youth Cup match in the extra preliminary round the non-League club have won eight successive ties in the competition “The boys only train on a Friday and a Monday on FA Youth Cup week,” Bowry The reward for their incredible run was a fourth-round glamour tie against Chelsea the nine-time winners of the FA Youth Cup and a team made up of some of the most talented young footballers in Europe !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r Bowry, who played for Crystal Palace in the Premier League in the early 1990s and made more than 400 appearances across his professional career puffs out his cheeks when he thinks about the Chelsea side I’ve watched three games and I’d say he’s completed 98 percent of his passes The majority of Chelsea's under-18 squad have already signed professional contracts and some are already earning more than £10,000 a week If the Chelsea players are living the dream are trying to find a way back into a game that can be as brutal as it is beautiful Released by Crystal Palace at the age of 15 Solecki remembers returning to his grassroots club for the first time “I never really went to a session when I was in the academy so they all thought something was up “And then at the end of the session I asked the coach if I could say something I told all the players and the coaches (about what happened at Palace) I was halfway through and I broke down in tears.” Solecki smiles when asked what his ambitions are now Others in the Merstham squad are hoping that the door to professional football will open for them for the first time “I want to be a footballer and the one from my family who can provide,” says Chris Lutonadio a cultured left-footed midfielder from Islington who “likes to make passes – a lot of passes” Solecki and Lutonadio go to different schools — Coombe Wood in Croydon and London Nautical in Blackfriars – as part of the Volenti Academy programme that Bowry oversees either studying A-levels or a BTEC qualification alongside regular training and matches including fixtures against professional academies football for these boys keeps them on the straight and narrow and gives them a focus to actually want to better themselves rather than being dragged down by others who would just be happy staying at home and doing street crime,” Bowry says “We talk about destination; where they’re going to go The academy’s relationship with Merstham FC Under-18s whose first team play in the Isthmian League Division One South East which is the eighth tier of English football Some of the boys are expected to play for Merstham’s first team in the Surrey Cup soon Not that anyone is thinking about that game right now Bowry has done his homework on every team Merstham have faced in the FA Youth Cup so far but Monday afternoon’s analysis session in the gym at Coombe Wood school feels a bit different to anything that has gone before “There are players here that I feel are potentially world-class,” Bowry says as he points to the television screen and scrolls through Chelsea’s starting line-up in their 4-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion on Saturday we need to have our shape right because they can kill you with two passes,” he adds but we're gonna tweak it in ways where we can get our players on the ball because stresses how important it is that the two strikers stay disciplined with their positioning when Chelsea have the ball at the back “What will happen with you — and I've seen it before — is you'll get impatient and jump “There’s gonna be a time when you can jump But there's a time where you've just got to mirror the ball across the pitch.” performs a Zidane roulette turn to spin away from two West Brom players prompting gasps from the 30 or so players whose eyes are glued to the screen “Just because you’re playing Chelsea… they’re there to be tackled,” McKimm says Before the players go outside to train and work tactically on some of the things that they have just watched “My phone hasn’t stopped ringing since last week,” he adds “I’m still doing the same job I’ve been doing for the last 10 years But what's different is you carried us to the best thing you're ever gonna do Tomorrow we’ve got ITV (a national television broadcaster) here "Make sure you go and enjoy playing football.” “Premier League — you won’t last very long,” Bowry says smiling and looking at the six players in the first group you look at the first two groups to see who needs to be moved The boys are taking part in a passing exercise around mannequins in four different groups They will be shifted up and down — promoted or relegated — depending on how they perform in the drill preaching the importance of passing to the back foot There is laughter and good-natured finger-pointing at the end of each 60 seconds as players argue over who should be in the top-flight group or playing pub football He puts on another drill in groups of six afterwards rapping passes around the corner and sprinting diagonally to receive possession again The tempo of the session is high as the ball zips around prompting team-mates to encourage one another to focus and take more care whether that’s telling a player to use his weaker foot to execute the pass quicker and prevent it from being blocked in a game “Rap a ball into me fast,” he asks one of the players Bowry sets the ball perfectly with a cushioned lay-off “How many times have you bobbled the ball up The ball is passed into Bowry again and this time he leans back Take the sting out of the ball,” Bowry says But I’ve just watched you do three in a row with the XI due to start in the FA Youth Cup lining up against the remainder of the squad who wear bibs and set up in the same formation that Chelsea are expected to play The Merstham Under-18s team for the Chelsea game  Bowry coaches team shape from the touchline while McKimm stations himself in the centre of the pitch to help the two strikers not too far over,” McKimm says to the strikers as the second XI shift the ball patiently across the back But then a clever ball from the left-back Carter de Ste Croix releases a team-mate in behind the first XI strikers and in front of the midfield imploring the midfielders to press and win the ball It feels like a reminder of how hard it is for coaches to get all the departments of a team functioning together tactically let alone a group that only trains sporadically With darkness now falling and another session due to start the players are called to the side of the pitch for a debrief McKimm makes the point that both he and Bowry are just trying to help the Merstham players with their set-up out of possession to “stop Chelsea from hurting us” “There’s no point getting this far and saying we got to the fourth round and played Chelsea’.” Josh Solecki approaches and asks if he can have a quick word following our interview earlier in the day “This FA Youth Cup run has been unforgettable and will be a memory for a lifetime.” The Merstham players have made their own way to some of the FA Youth Cup ties this season and a minibus has taken them on other occasions A plush 52-seater coach provided by Chelsea is parked outside Coombe Wood school in Croydon ready to make the 15-mile journey across London at rush hour predicting the scoreline and wondering what it would be like to play Manchester United away — the potential prize for the winners — in the next round who has scored 11 goals in the FA Youth Cup “I’ve got people from my family coming to watch me — that’s the first time that’s happened,” he says I want to make sure I do something on the pitch that will get them to believe in what I can do and come to watch more games.” Sesay could have been written off as a lost cause last season He regularly skipped school and training and “There were a few times where Bobby had to speak to me He told me I was a really good player and that I had something that I didn’t know I had,” Sesay says Twelve months later, Sesay is about to go on trial with League One leaders Wycombe Wanderers and is preparing to face Chelsea “I was thinking about this game all over the Christmas break,” he says It is clearly a huge occasion for the boys When the team coach pulls through the gates at Kingsmeadow an hour and half before kick-off a number of the Merstham players are so caught up in the moment that they forget to collect their bags from underneath the bus before walking down the corridor to the changing room “Everyone turn their phones off,” Bowry says “I had 16 years of being able to do this on a daily basis Big sacrifices in terms of what you do daily and how you perform.” Bowry shifts the counters around into a defensive formation water bottles and a mixture of sweets high in sugar 19 minutes and we’re going out,” says Darren Teague “Nobody wearing gloves unless you’re a goalkeeper As fans start to drift through the turnstiles and the players begin to warm up Bowry and McKimm go back over the set pieces They decide to leave two up on Chelsea corners reasoning that it will limit the numbers that their opponents bring forward and also give Merstham an outlet if the ball is cleared McKimm runs through the individual set-piece roles with the players shortly before kick-off But the time for talking about any other tactics has been and gone now Bowry makes one final message as the bell sounds Have the right mindset that when you come on that you’re going to make a difference to the team.” The bell rings for a second time and the players get up from their seats cajole one another and walk down the tunnel “Merstham are massive everywhere they go!” It doesn’t feel like a home game for Chelsea There are more than 1,200 people inside Kingsmeadow and the majority of them are Merstham supporters Several hundred are congregated behind the goal that Chelsea are attacking in the first half and determined to make themselves heard The fact that every player in the Chelsea starting XI has played for their country at age-group level Every block and challenge by a Merstham player in the first 10 minutes is met with huge cheers by their fans who also take great pleasure in seeing a shot from Mheuka sail high over the bar Mheuka provides the perfect riposte moments later when he drives into the penalty area and Bowry's message remains the same from the restart urging the Merstham players to be brave on the ball Chelsea are relentless, though, and attack with a mixture of pace, power and guile through their dynamic front three. Ryan Kavuma-McQueen, a direct and prolific left-winger who scored a couple of outstanding goals for England Under-16s against Italy in August their Portugal Under-19 international on the opposite flank Then comes a moment that takes the breath away Mheuka brings the ball down with neat close control shrugging off his marker Chris Rangel in the process and drills a rising left-foot shot from 20 yards inside the near post If Mheuka’s first goal had shades of Cole Palmer about it with the way that he rolled his studs over the top of the ball his second was straight out of the Didier Drogba playbook 🚨 Chelsea’s 17-Year-Old Shumaira Mheuka goal tonight for his hat-trick Stunning #CFC pic.twitter.com/7qZoIdkpuc — TheSecretScout (@TheSecretScout_) January 15, 2025 There are only 32 minutes on the clock and it’s 4-0 to Chelsea The answer is as unexpected as it is magical Chris Lutonadio slides a lovely disguised pass inside the Chelsea centre-back Emenalo to set Sesay free on goal Sesay’s shot is repelled by the Chelsea goalkeeper but the loose ball falls kindly for Amari Perkins Cue huge celebrations at the opposite end of the ground and a reaction from Perkins that says everything about Merstham’s never-say-die attitude: the striker grabs the ball out of the back of the net and sprints back to put it on the centre spot Are they seriously thinking about a comeback The half-time team-talk suggests it’s a long way from the coaches’ minds Bowry and McKimm identify plenty of areas where Merstham can improve both with and without the ball there is praise for the team's resilience and spirit “You know what I’m so happy about?” McKimm asks the players “There’s teams that would have folded at 4-0.” Merstham concede again at the start of the second half when Mheuka converts from the spot to complete his hat-trick after the non-League team make a mistake trying to play out from the back Five quickly becomes six when Reggie Walsh heads home The impressive Lutonadio plays another terrific through ball this time between the two Chelsea centre-backs to release the substitute Ashley Tshitenga Although Harrison misses a late Panenka penalty that the excellent Nico Tero saves There are tired legs and long faces in the Merstham dressing room The players look physically and emotionally drained “Please don’t be disappointed,” McKimm tells them The team — and one player in particular — is about to get a lift asks if he can have a minute with the Merstham players in the dressing room I want to say a fantastic well done to all of you,” Van der Kraan says “You’re at the start of your journey in football And even though they’ve had so many games like this everyone here hopefully has a dream to either become a professional player or to do something in the game who was working hard and also showed some great technical things — that was No 4 I want to congratulate you on being player of the match.” Van der Kraan hands over a Chelsea shirt to Lutonadio who is given a round of applause by his team-mates Bowry steps outside to do a post-match interview where he talks about it being one of his best nights in football he returns to the dressing room to discuss what matters to him most: the next chapter for the boys “My biggest focus now is our destination: where are you going next Because I can’t let this group just go to some caveman who is not going to educate and look after you in the right way,” he tells them who is attracting interest from several Football League clubs that the academy manager recognised your performance I thought we were going to lose you because you weren’t ‘with us’ and your change is going to give you possibly a change of lifestyle.” Bowry smiles as he looks at the rest of the team (Photos: Austin Creative Consultancy and Flynn Whitelegg; design: Eamonn Dalton) A former professional footballer with Swindon Town, Stuart James went onto spend 15 years working for The Guardian, where he reported on far too many relegation battles to mention, one miraculous Premier League title triumph and a couple of World Cups. He joined The Athletic as a Senior Writer in 2019. Follow Stuart on Twitter @stujames75 The Blues' fourth-round fixture will be played on Wednesday 15 January for an evening clash that kicks off at 7pm. Ticket news can be found by clicking here The match will also be streamed live on the official Chelsea website and app The Blues progressed to this stage of the prestigious FA Youth Cup after an exciting third-round comeback away at Leicester City. Despite falling two goals behind in the first half, Kiano Dyer reduced the gap before the break and late strikes from Shumaira Mheuka and Kobe Barbour in the final 10 minutes secured a thrilling victory a team whose men’s side competes in the Isthmian League having defeated Burgess Hill Town 3-1 in their own third-round match to secure a seventh win in this season's competition The draw for the Under-18 Premier League Cup quarter-finals has also been held The Blues are at home in that competition too after topping our group with maximum points thanks to victories over Newcastle United The date and ticket information for the last-eight tie with Liverpool will be confirmed in due course For best viewing experience of this website Please enter a place name in the search bar After provisionally the warmest May Day on record in the UK higher than average temperatures will subside over the weekend Environment Agency Updated: 12:05 (UTC+1) on Tue 6 May 2025 it will turn increasingly cloudy from off the North Sea Some bright or sunny spells developing by evening Staying dry with some lengthy clear skies overnight Turning chilly with a touch of grass frost in places Largely dry with variable amounts of cloud and bright or sunny spells on Wednesday with variable amounts of cloud and bright or sunny spells throughout the period Dry across the vast majority of the UK with clear or sunny spells but also some patchy cloud Cloud will likely thicken across the far north and northwest during the weekend with some outbreaks of rain for a time There is also a small risk of some heavy showers in the far south or southwest high pressure will be dominant across the UK This will bring predominantly fine and dry weather for the majority of places Temperatures are likely to be slightly above normal for the time of year although there is a chance of some cold nights Fairly typical weather for the time of year is most likely through this period fine and dry weather is more likely to dominate although this will be interspersed with occasional spells of rain and showers with a risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms in places temperatures will most likely be near to or slightly above average The Blues are set to host non-league Merstham in the fourth round of this season's FA Youth Cup on the evening of Wednesday 15 January, having already beaten Leicester City away in a thrilling third-round comeback, thanks to goals by Kiano Dyer, Shumaira Mheuka and Kobe Barbour All supporters under the age of 20 can claim one free ticket for the 7pm kick-off against Merstham at Kingsmeadow via their online ticket account. All other tickets can be purchased for £4 each online or Should we progress again by beating Merstham Chelsea Under-18s will be back on the road in this competition to face the winner of Manchester United's game against Preston North End which is scheduled to be played on Friday 17 January Further details for that potential last-16 tie in the FA Youth Cup will be announced once confirmed You and four friends can enjoy top quality Isthmian League football next Saturday a commemorative gift and the selection and presentation of the Man of the Match award This fantastic package is open to all our match sponsors this season continuing with next weekend’s visit of Merstham you can advertise your company’s services via a half page advert in the match programme as well as regular mentions over the public address system This fantastic package costs just £150 – that’s just £30 each for you and your friends – so  what are you waiting for Email commercial@horshamfc.co.uk to register your interest today Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Last MatchIsthmian League Premier DivisionThe Fusion Aviation Community Stadium, HorshamSaturday April 26 2025, 3:00 pmHorsham5Hashtag United1Match Report Next MatchSussex Senior Cup FinalAmerican Express Stadium, FalmerThursday May 8 2025, 7:30 pmHorshamLittlehampton TownView Fixtures Send a tweet containing #HorshamFC to get involved. Thy man scores again things self entitled fans love to see.💛💚#HorshamFC https://x.com/robbiemurdoch28/status/1875881834388877785/photo/1 13918045.Limited by Shares: Major Shareholding (100%) Horsham Football Club CIC.Registered Address: The Hop Oast Stadium,Worthing Road,Horsham,West Sussex,RH13 0AD Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Deliveries, Returns & Refunds Powered by: Lello Co A link to set a new password will be sent to your email address The youngsters who Sutton hope will be the stars of the future produced a highly impressive performance on Monday to knock Isthmian League Merstham out of the Surrey Senior Cup Fielding the majority of the side that had beaten Brentford in the EFL Youth Alliance on Saturday morning U’s dominated their more senior opponents and after going two up inside twenty minutes were rarely threatened and could have added more goals before Jordan McNally put the seal on the game with just over ten minutes to go Showing that it’s not just the first team that has injury issues U’s were forced in to a change before kick off when Kai Tanner suffered an ankle injury in the warm-up but that didn’t deter U’s young side who were quick and energetic from the start and Merstham not having the best of seasons in the South Central Division of the Isthmian League It took just eight minutes for U’s to capitalise on the bright start as a free kick was cleared to the edge of the area and returned in to the roof of the net by a sweetly struck half volley from centre back Jack Taylor Twelve minutes later U’s had doubled their lead as George Costello was scythed down near the left corner flag and from the free kick Josh Nunes glanced the ball goalwards and Daniel Olabiyi provided the finishing touch referee Shaun Farrer waving away Merstham appeals that he had used his hand Merstham only rarely looked as though they would get back in to the game before half time although Filip Chalupniczak was forced in to one good low save from Charlie Greenwood’s low shot from outside the penalty area and although they enjoyed a better spell early in the second half they spurned their best chance to reduce the arrears when Ore Bello headed over from close range As the game went on it was Sutton who were the stronger side and Nunes was unlucky when his acrobatic overhead kick following a corner rebounded off the post Nunes then set up Cameron Grant following another corner but again the frame of the goal came to the home side’s rescue as Grant’s shot came back off the bar U’s weren’t to be denied a third cutting in from the right and playing the ball across goal to give McNally a simple chance which was gleefully accepted We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns Bromley Football Club can confirm that First Year Pro Shyam Taank has joined Isthmian League South East Division side Merstham on a two-month loan after spending a short period of time on loan at South Park FC this season The defender joined the club in the summer from Swindon Town and has gone on to make nine appearances for the U21’s who featured in our Glyn Beverly Memorial Cup victory over Dulwich Hamlet bagging in the Ravens’ 3-1 win away at Cobham at the start of September Site Proudly Designed & Developed by Tilt Digital by | Oct 16, 2019 | Match Day Reports Cray Wanderers – BetVictor Isthmian Premier – Tuesday 15th October Merstham                                                      1 Cray Wanderers                                            2 Cray Wanderers returned to winning ways after two consecutive defeats with a strong and determined display to come from behind to win at Merstham and at the same time remain unbeaten away from home in the Isthmian Premier Cray who had lost to Haringey Borough in the FA Cup and then on Saturday were beaten in an eight goal thriller to Enfield Town got off to a bad start at the Whisky Bible Stadium when Yannick Monga took advantage of a swift breakaway to give Merstham the lead after just four minutes   Cray though were looking dangerous going forward and drew level on 18 minutes when Joe Taylor crashed home his 14th goal of the season turning the ball home from Karl Dent’s cross The second half was more of a scrappier affair but Cray began the half on the front foot and went in front in the 57th minute when Bradley Pritchard found space from Taylor’s pass inside the area and coolly slotted home his second goal of the season From here Cray were able to soak up any Merstham pressure and could have grabbed a third goal to make things a bit more easier but hung on to move up to ninth place in the league table Despite the 3-5 defeat to Enfield Town on Saturday Cray played extremely well and on another day and a bit more luck could have salvaged something from the game From that side there was two changes to the starting lineup with Barney Williams returning from suspension in place of Tom Phipp while Karl Dent came in for Jerome Federico Merstham were looking to end a run of three successive league defeats and on a damp but fairly mild night the scene was set for another entertaining game The match got off to a blistering start and Cray began well but in the fourth minute and with their first attack Merstham took the lead Merstham broke out and top scorer Omar Folkes broke down the right and his ball across was flicked out by Ellis Brown to the back post where Yannick Monga pounced to drive home a well struck shot past Lewis Carey Cray looked to hit back straight away and Tom Carlse lashed a shot well wide and then Ben Mundele inside the area saw a shot blocked The first real Wands chance came in the 12th minute when Bradley Pritchard played in Mundele down the right of the area but was denied by an excellent save from Matte Pierson who blocked the ball with his chest and the ball went behind for a corner Folkes when found by the very quick Brown curled a shot over as the game was going from end to end Dent’s shot was deflected behind for a corner from which Mitchell Nelson’s header was claimed by Pierson Merstham came close to going two nil up when from a free kick 25 yards from goal ex-Cray Wanderers full back Peter Wedgeworth stepped up to rifle in a shot which Carey did superbly to push the ball over for a corner From the corner the ball came to Monga inside the area but Carey parried the ball on the line Finally in a good spell of Merstham pressure Folkes inside the area turned and shot which was claimed by Carey Cray were able to weather that storm and in the 18th minute drew level when the ball was worked down the right and Dent who had begun in impressive fashion broke into the area and squared the ball across to Joe Taylor who made no mistake from 12 yards for his 14th goal of the season the game perhaps settled down for the remainder of the half but there were one or two opportunities for both teams Frankie Hession-Harris made a run forward and saw his shot held by Carey Then at the other end Cray were unlucky when Taylor found Andre Coker down the left who played in Pritchard who looked to have taken the ball round the advancing Pierson but squared the ball across and no-one could get on the end of the cross Folkes inside the area swung to connect with a cross but Carey was able to gather the shot From here Cray perhaps dominated the remainder of the half Firstly Taylor curled a shot over from Mundele’s pass and then Coker saw a shot deflected through to Pierson This was followed from a right wing corner Dent’s ball to the far post was volleyed over by Charlie Allen Wedgeworth saw a free kick down the left driven across goal and no-one could apply a touch Barney Williams played Dent into the box but his near post shot lacked power and was safely gathered by Pierson Where the first half was for the most part action packed the second was perhaps more of attritional affair with Cray having the better of the match and a semblance of control Cray came close to taking the lead early on when Jay Leader who had an excellent game at the back alongside the always imperious Nelson found Williams down the right who played in Taylor who drove in a shot at the near post which was pushed behind well by Pierson Merstham’ best opportunity perhaps of the second half came when down the right Brown combined with Monga to play the ball across to Wedgeworth up from the back who fired over It was looking like the next goal would be key to deciding the game and in the 57th minute Cray took the lead when down the right Taylor did well to win the ball and play in a fine pass to Pritchard who found space to trap the ball and fire past Pierson for a superb and calm piece of finishing Cray looked to add a third and Coker won a corner down the left from which Dent’s cross was nodded over by Leader From here Cray began to get a hold of the game and although Merstham applied pressure and had possession the defence held strong and Carey was well protected for the most part The Wands cleverly were able to manage the last fifteen minutes and Tom Murphy and Lee Lewis were introduced from the bench to add freshness and Cray solidly with Allen Pritchard and Taylor working hard to win the ball and could take the sting out of the game There was one possible bit of late drama when Merstham won a free kick in a decent position one the edge of the area but Wedgeworth blazed his shot over the bar and Cray could see out the game to pick up an excellent three points This was a win similar to many from last season with great spells of Cray attacking coupled with stout and strong defending and in the end the three points were well deserved but Merstham have a lot of pace and quality in their side and Frank Wilson’s side should have enough not to get back to winning ways soon Cray next head to bogey side Lewes on Saturday looking to win against the Rooks in the league for the first time but can go into the match with confidence New Stadium First Team Tickets Club News Contact Us Instagram YouTube Twitter Our club sponsor page by | Feb 5, 2022 | Match Day Reports Merstham –  Isthmian Premier – Saturday 5th February Cray Wanderers                                                        3 Merstham                                                                   0 ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 05: Merstham’s Bertie Lloyd tries to usher Cray Wanderers’s Jamie Yila out as Merstham’s goalkeeper covers his near post during The Pitching In Isthmian Premier League match between Cray Wanderers and Merstham at Hayes Lane on February 05 Cray Wanderers continued their winning start to February with a morale boosting victory against Merstham at Hayes Lane to move out of the bottom three and make it two wins in a week Cray got off to a great start and went ahead in the 5th minute when Chris Dickson finished with some aplomb down the left of the area after latching onto a back pass The game was very open for the first quarter of an hour and on 16 minutes Cray doubled their lead with Dickson the provider as his cross-shot was pushed out and at the second attempt Kyel Reid fired home from 8 yards The next goal in the game would be crucial and it went the Wands way in the 59th minute when Sam Wood’s corner to the near post was met by a stopping header from Ethan Kaiser and into the net Another bonus was the team’s second clean sheet of the season The Wands were looking to build on the momentum of a big 3-2 win at Potters Bar Town on Tuesday night where Cray came back from 0-2 down and for one of the few times this season manager Grant Basey named an unchanged side with the big story being the home coming appearance of Sam Wood who re-joined Cray Wanderers after a seventeen year career away earlier this week  Merstham came into the game in 15th place and had proved very hard to break down defensively in recent matches and drew 0-0 with promotion chasing Kingstonian last Saturday From the team which narrowly lost at Carshalton Athletic in the Velocity League Cup on Monday night into the team came James Richmond and Tahjae Anderson in place of Michael Olarewaju and Luke Cook Merstham had been very comfortable winners when the sides met in November in a game where 2-0 perhaps flattered Cray so looked a tough game  On a grey and slightly blowy afternoon the game off to a breezy start with Merstham perhaps shading the early exchanges but it was Cray who broke through first in the 5th minute Down the left a pass back towards goal was latched onto by Chris Dickson who took on the Merstham defence and from 14 yards coolly placed the ball wide of Toby Bull into the net for his sixth goal for the club ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 05: Cray Wanderers’s Chris Dickson scores his team’s first goal to make the score 1-0 during the The Pitching In Isthmian Premier League match between Cray Wanderers and Merstham at Hayes Lane on February 05 ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 05: Cray Wanderers’s Chris Dickson celebrates scoring his team’s first goal to make the score 1-0 during the The Pitching In Isthmian Premier League match between Cray Wanderers and Merstham at Hayes Lane on February 05 Merstham looked to get back into it quickly and Charlie Greenwood saw from outside the area blocked and then in the 11th minute Dylan Adjei-Hersey down the right received a short cross and fired a shot just past the left post Cray pushed for a second and Jamie Yila broke forward from midfield and into the area down the right and his shot skimmed along the turf and was well held by Bull In the 16th minute it was 2-0 to Cray and Anthony Cook played a fine ball out to Dickson down the right who sent over a cross as Bull seemed to lose his footing but did well to sprawl down to save as Kyel Reid broke into the area and at the second attempt was able to turn the ball into the net Cray began to grow in confidence and from a corner down the left to the far post Nazir Bakrin set up Reid who shot over the bar Dickson was again the provider from the right as his cross found Wood who could have made a dramatic return with a goal but fired over the bar Then the excellent Freddy Barton put over a fine cross which Bull punched away under pressure from Wood   Again Cray looked good going forward and Reid exchanged passes with Barton and his cross fell to Dickson who shot over the top from 25 yards Merstham looked to respond and Jacquart set up Serge Makofo who swiveled and turned just inside the area and his shot was saved by Bailey Vose The last action of the half saw Yila almost get on the scoresheet again down the right and this time his near post was well pushed out by Bull ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 05: Merstham’s goalkeeper makes a save at his near post from Cray Wanderers’s Jamie Yila during The Pitching In Isthmian Premier League match between Cray Wanderers and Merstham at Hayes Lane on February 05  The second half looked to continue with the same ebb and flow of the first as Merstham sought a goal to get back into it and brought on Korrey Henry at half time  Cray though were playing well and down the right Barton found Yila who was beginning to become a key influence in the game with his pace and set up Cameron Brodie who fired a shot over the top from 20 yards Then Yila saw a cross-shot blocked as Cray threatened a third goal and the Wands had the ball in the net possibly through Kasim Aidoo but was disallowed for a foul on Bull Cray prospered and after a good passing spell Brodie and Barton set up Yila whose shot was parried well by Bull and Cook fired over from outside the box Cray continued to threaten and were awarded a free kick 30 yards from goal and Cook’s shot was deflected over for a corner Cray went 3-0 up in the 59th minute when Wood’s cross towards the near post was met by a header under pressure from Ethan Kaiser for his first Cray Wanderers goal ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 05: Cray Wanderers’s Ethan Kaiser scores his team’s third goal with his head to make the score 3-0 during The Pitching In Isthmian Premier League match between Cray Wanderers and Merstham at Hayes Lane on February 05 Following the goal the Wands were able to relax and Barton set up Dickson for a rasping shot from the edge of the area which was well held by Bull Henry was looking like a positive substitution and did well to barge his way into the area down the left and fired over the crossbar and then a minute later saw a shot from the edge of the area held by Vose Wood down the left set up Dickson but his shot went away from goal  Cray had pretty much had the game won but the big challenge was to claim a clean sheet and Jacquart shot over for the Moatsiders and a cross from the left was headed wide by Henry towards the end  Dickson saw a shot deflected to Bull and were able to see out the remaining minutes and pick up the three points and record their biggest win of the season and a bonus clean sheet The impact of Dickson and Reid up front for Cray was at times pretty devastating and Yila once again showed his exceptional pace The defence did especially well with Barton and Aidoo fairly consistent performers at the back for a while now and Kaiser and Bakrin seem to have built up a decent partnership already Certainly the arrival of Wood also has made a mark and worked extremely hard all game and looked as fit as a fiddle as anyone at the final whistle Merstham who remain 15th on 30 points did work very hard and kept going until the end but the two early goals for Cray proved quite decisive ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 05: Cray Wanderers’s Sam Wood during The Pitching In Isthmian Premier League match between Cray Wanderers and Merstham at Hayes Lane on February 05  The win for Cray moved them up to 19th level on 26 points with Bowers & Pitsea and with 13 games to go gives hope if this performance is replicated can move the Wands more into a mid-table position and move on to Wingate & Finchley next Saturday looking to keep up the momentum Robert Alderton                                   by | Nov 9, 2021 | Front Page Merstham vs Cray Wanderers – 9/11/21 Cray Wanderers return to league action in November after a stop-start October on Tuesday 9th November as the Wands head to Merstham for the first of five midweek matches in the next six weeks Cray head into the game on the back of a 4-1 victory in the FA Trophy last time out against Kings Langley on 31st October with goals from Anthony Cook This sets up a tie against Bedfont Sports on Saturday at Hayes Lane ENGLAND – OCTOBER 31: Cray Wanderers’s Chris Dickson celebrates scoring his team’s third goal to make the score 3-1 with Cray Wanderers’s Kasim Aidoo during the The Buildbase FA Trophy match between Cray Wanderers and Kings Langley at Hayes Lane on October 31 Cray played a behind closed doors match with an Academy side last Wednesday and won 4-2 with goals from Jamie Yila ENGLAND – OCTOBER 31: Cray Wanderers’s Richard Afrane-Kesey watches as his shot goes wide during the The Buildbase FA Trophy match between Cray Wanderers and Kings Langley at Hayes Lane on October 31 Cray come into the game in 17th place in the Isthmian Premier League table after 11 games and with quite a few games to catch up in November and December there are plenty of points available to start climbing the table and hopefully Danny Kedwell will have a settled team free of injury which blighted the early weeks of the campaign  Certainly against Kings Langley the team looked well balanced and debutants Richie Danquah and Jai Reason made the team look more solid ENGLAND – OCTOBER 31: Cray Wanderers’s Jai Reason during the The Buildbase FA Trophy match between Cray Wanderers and Kings Langley at Hayes Lane on October 31 The Wands opponents Merstham lie 13th in the table with 18 points from 14 games and although they have lost their last two games in league and cup had a decent October and won three league matches in a row including home wins against Haringey Borough and Bowers & Pitsea Frank Wilson’s side were beaten 0-1 at Hornchurch in their last match on Saturday Their home results have seen victories against Potters Bar Town (1-0) Haringey Borough (5-0) and Bowers & Pitsea (4-0) The y were beaten by Folkestone Invicta (0-2) Away from home the Moatsiders won at Cheshunt (1-0) Corinthian Casuals (3-0) & Leatherhead (3-2) and were beaten at Horsham Merstham had a decent run in the FA Cup reaching the 3rd QR beating Balham and Margate before losing at home to Hereford In the FA Trophy Merstham were beaten at home by Welwyn Garden City in the 3rd QR The last time the sides met at Merstham was on 15th October 2019 which Cray won 2-1 with goals from Joe Taylor and Bradley Pritchard Cray defeated Merstham 6-0 in the final league game played during the shortened 2020-21 season at Hayes Lane on 28th October 2020 in Cray’s biggest ever win in the Isthmian Premier Charlie Allen in action at Merstham in a 2-1 win in October 2019 Merstham were founded in 1892 and five years later joined the Redhill & District League where they won five titles between 1926-27 – 1950-51 and then moved on to the Surrey Intermediate League They then moved to the Surrey Senior League in 1965 winning the title in 1971-72 and then on to the London Spartan League in 1978 the year that Cray moved to the Kent League In 1984 Merstham moved to the Combined Counties League and in 2003 went into the Premier Division In 2007-08 they won promotion to the Isthmian Division One South as champions and also reached the last 8 of the FA Vase They became mainstays of the Isthmian South and in 2014-15 after finishing fourth they won promotion after beating Faversham Town and impressively 3-0 at Folkestone Invicta in the Playoff Final to gain promotion to the Premier In 2016-17 they made national headlines by reaching the 1st Round Proper of the FA Cup for the first time and staged a televised tie against Oxford United 2018-19 was a good season for the Moatsiders who finished in their highest ever league placing of fifth and won 2-0 at Carshalton in the Playoff semi-final They eventually missed out on promotion losing 0-2 at Tonbridge Angels in the final After that manager Hayden Bird and many of those players went on to Kingstonian for the start of the 2019-20 season with former Tooting & Mitcham United manager Frank Wilson taking charge Merstham were 21st in the league table when the season came to an abrupt halt in March 2020 and last season were 22nd but only eight games were played It  will be great to be back on the road with the Wands again and with the November and December fixture list bringing some incredible games things will start getting busy once again DIRECTIONS TO MERSTHAM FC & ADMISSION PRICES and take the A217 towards Reigate & Redhill Follow this road for about 2 miles until you meet the A23 and then after 0.3 miles turn left onto School Hill This road crosses the railway and becomes Bletchingley Road Turn right after about 0.2 miles onto Worsted Green and then right again onto Weldon Way and you should find the ground on the right hand side 30 & 51 and take just over half an hour Return train at 22.03 with others requiring a change at East Croydon There are also two trains per hour from London Victoria at 09 & 39 with returns at 22.15 turn left past the front of the station and take the road to the left (Station Road South) past the car park Proceed to the top of the road and turn left down School Hill Nearest Pub:  The Feathers Hotel  –      42 High Street A welcoming and classy looking pub with a wide selection of ales and wines plus a high quality menu Chippy/Indian: The Merstham Chippy on Bletchingley Road is quite near the ground and could be worth a visit It has to be said that Merstham has an excellent club house and being an evening match you may want to sample what is on offer and when we went there for a pre-season friendly a few years ago they did some superb A good trip and a nice ground but might be better on a Saturday if you are wanting to make a day of it by | Mar 2, 2020 | Match Day Reports Merstham – Isthmian League Premier – Sunday 1st March Cray Wanderers                                            3 Merstham                                                      1 Cray Wanderers moved back into 4th place in the Isthmian Premier league table and made it 11 matches without defeat after beating Merstham at Hayes Lane The win puts Cray on 61 points level on points with Hornchurch and Folkestone Invicta and seven behind leaders Worthing Cray are also seven points clear of 6thh placed Horsham in the race for the playoffs Joe Taylor took his league tally to 25 and 31 in all competition with a brace of goals in the first half the first after six minutes and the second from the penalty spot just before the break Cray’s second goal was well finished by Bradley Pritchard five minutes before half time  Merstham looked to rally in the second half and managed to pull a goal back with practically the last kick of the game three minutes into added on time when Shola Ayoola netted On a bright if chilly afternoon before the game after a presentation of framed shirts to club sponsors the club made a special signing of 100 year old former Cray Wanderers goalkeeper George Taylor to commemorate the clubs oldest living player Cray had moved down one place to 5th on Saturday after Carshalton Athletic beat Horsham while Hornchurch had gone up to 2nd open match as Merstham need the points as in the midst of a relegation battle and come into the match 20th in the table on 24 points The Wands were buoyed by the appearance in the side once again of Jay Leader who had missed the last two matches and Tom Phipp who made his first start since the win against Horsham a month ago Leader came into the side for Geofrey Okonkwo while Phipp came in for Karl Dent Cray began the game at a breakneck speed and an early Tom Carlse cross from the left was put behind for a corner Rhys Murrell-Williamson’s cross was cleared out to Charlie Allen who from 25 yards cracked a volley off the top of the crossbar after 4 minutes Cray were ahead when the ball was worked down the left and Joel Rollinson’s ball through was latched onto by Joe Taylor who from 10 yards calmly drilled a low shot wide of Matte Pierson and into the bottom right corner for his 30th goal of the season Merstham looked to work their way back into the game and James O’Halloran hit a shot wide of goal from 20 yards Cray continued to impress going forward and Carlse who began the game impressively set up Rollinson who shot over from just outside the area Then for Merstham Emmanuel Fernandez set up Calvin Ekpiteta whose drive from 20 yards was blocked Then Cray came close again when Murrell-Williamson made a great run down the right and cut into the area and his shot was pushed away well by Pierson in the 13th minute Merstham were awarded a free kick just outside the area to the left and Ekpiteta’s shot came back off the wall and out to O’Shane Stewart whose drive was deflected through to Lewis Carey Then Cray won a corner down the left and Murrell-Williamson’s cross to the far post was headed towards goal by Leader and appeared to perhaps strike the arm of Edwin Mensah before Taylor could get to the ball and eventually came out to Bradley Pritchard who fired over the top In the 25th minute Cray looked to increase their lead and the excellent Charlie Allen found Murrell-Williamson down the right and his looping ball into the area was headed out by Mensah to Carlse who from just outside the area pulled a shot just wide of the right post Just after the half hour the Wands almost scored a great goal when Tom Phipp from inside his own half turned and played a superb pass through to Taylor who held off a defender outside the area and found Murrell-Williamson down the right of the box and his shot was well held by Pierson Merstham had a flurry where they looked to level and Omar Folkes and Eddie Dines combined to set up Bobby Mills whose shot was deflected behind for a corner five minutes before half time Cray grabbed a second goal to give comfort and was well worked with Rollinson and Pritchard combining and Ben Mundele played a lovely ball through to Pritchard and down the right hit an crisp finish from 8 yards into the net for his fourth goal of the season and his second this season against Merstham Cray were awarded a penalty when down the left Allen found Rollinson who played a pass to Carlse who broke into the area and was brought down by Fernandez for one of the more obvious spot kicks of the season Taylor coolly fired home to make it 3-0 and give Cray a degree of comfort at the break To Merstham’s credit they came out second half and looked to get back into the game and never threw the towel in and almost got back into it straight away when a cross from the right by Folkes towards half time substitute Shola Ayoola was put behind for a corner O’Halloran’s cross was punched out by Carey and out to Michal Gough who volleyed over the bar As the half went on Cray were looking to build forward momentum but were perhaps content to take the sting out of the game and were composed and defensively strong Merstham did seek a goal to put them back in the contest and Gough once again fired well over the top then Yannick Monga set up Ayoola whose shot was blocked and came out to Folkes who shot wide Ayoola won the ball and set up Folkes just inside the area who couldn’t get a shot away and was cleared by Leader The ball then came out to Dines who shot over from 30 yards Cray’s best opening of the second half came when Rollinson down the left from a tight angle was blocked by Pierson for a corner Pritchard’s cross into the heart of the six yard box was met by the head of Leader but went straight to Pierson The game had long seemed won by Cray and they saw out the game with substitutions and weren’t overly troubled until the last couple of minutes of the match Harry Mark found Ekpiteta whose low shot from 20 yards was well gathered by Lewis Carey Then finally in the third minute of added on time Merstham pulled a goal back which perhaps their efforts in the second half deserved when Gough played a pass through to Ayoola who found space down the left of the area to drive a shot in off the right post to make it 3-1 However that was virtually the last kick of the game and Cray had won and moved to within seven points of top spot The unbeaten run continues now into its third month and there were a number of impressive performances Taylor and Murrell-Williamson in particular playing well but at this stage of the season the main thing is to keep on amassing points and since New Year’s Day have picked up 27 points from eleven games Cray on Saturday meet Brightlingsea Regent who similarly to Merstham require points at the other end of the table but the Wands keep marching on and with their key players all coming back to fitness and a full squad for Tony Russell to choose from things are looking bright for the last ten games of the season Sponsors Man of the Match:  Bradley Pritchard by | Oct 15, 2019 | Front Page Cray Wanderers begin a busy seven days with three consecutive away games in the BetVictor Isthmian Premier on Tuesday night with their first league visit to Merstham since January 2009 Both sides will be looking to bounce back from home defeats on Saturday Despite a very good performance against Enfield Town Cray were undone by some lethal finishing from the visitors and who went on to win a remarkable game 5-3 at Hayes Lane Cray played some wonderful attacking football which deserved better luck in front of goal and only had Joe Taylor’s sublime early strike Tom Murphy’s curler and Jay Leader’s header to show for their efforts Tony Russell’s side had a goal perhaps erroneously disallowed for offside for Taylor in the first half and also hit the woodwork three times Enfield Town though are old hands at this level of football and showed why they have started the season so well with their deadly finishing The positives also included the return of Jay Leader for his 150th appearance and played very well alongside Mitchell Nelson for the first time this season Tom Phipp worked his way back with 70 mins play and there was the usual fine displays from Tom Carlse It has to be said that Lewis Carey also made a number of fine saves himself and as matches go it was probably hard to beat for quality Merstham will be looking to stop a run of three successive league defeats which have left Frank Wilson’s side in 16th place in the table On Saturday they were beaten at home in a Surrey Derby 1-4 by Leatherhead Omar Folkes penalty goal was his sixth goal of the season Last season’s beaten playoff finalists home form has seen them beat East Thurrock United (2-1) but have lost their other four games to AFC Hornchurch (1-2) Away from home they have won at Corinthian Casuals (1-0) and Wingate & Finchley (4-0) and drew at Brightlingsea Regent (0-0) They were beaten in their other games at Folkestone Invicta (1-3) and Enfield Town (0-2) In the FA Cup Merstham were beaten in the 1st Qualifying Round at Whyteleafe (0-1) Sam Delano-Yorke who played a handful of games in the Premier for the Wands ten years ago has netted three goals this season There have been only two previous league meetings between Cray Wanderers and Merstham back in the 2008-09 season with Cray winning 3-0 at Hayes Lane in August 2008 and in January 2009 the teams drew 1-1 at Merstham with Jamie Kempster scoring in both games that season The only other meetings came in the FA Vase in 1992-93 with Cray winning 1-0 at Oxford Road while two seasons later Merstham won 2-1 in a replay after a 1-1 draw Last season was a good one for the Moatsiders who finished in their highest ever league placing of fifth and won 2-0 at Carshalton in the Playoff semi-final After that manager Hayden Bird and many of those players went on to Kingstonian for the start of this season but manager Frank Wilson has looked to assemble a new side who can challenge once again This should be another exciting evening under the lights and despite a couple of back to back defeats for Cray there is still much to look back on positively and proof just how good this division is and it is great to be back It has to be said that Merstham has an excellent club house and being an evening match you may want to sample what is on offer and when we went there for a pre-season friendly a couple of years ago they did some superb Here's Five Facts on Merstham Football Club ahead of our away fixture on Wednesday 30th January 2019 at Limeworks Meadow initially had no changing facilities; so players had to make do with hedgerows Floodlights were erected for the 1990/91 season and were inaugurated with a game against a Crystal Palace side that included current England Manager Their record home attendance (at the time) of 1,582 was set against AFC Wimbledon in a Combined Counties League Premier Division match on 9th November 2002 and included future Worthing Goalkeeper ‘Reigate Stone’ was quarried in Merstham and used to build parts of Westminster Abbey and Windsor Castle the village’s population was recorded as 8,123 and was also where Alfred Nobel first demonstrated the use of dynamite in 1868 Sussex Transport Community Stadium Woodside Road Worthing West Sussex BN14 7HQ Gilbert Investments Limited & Barry Hunter.